None of the contenders running for treasurer have the kind of campaign cash to promote their candidacies nonstop on statewide television. And even if they did, it’s doubtful that voters would be willing to engage.

Voters, in fact, are barely hitting the snooze bar when it comes to this race, which is to say many of them will likely sleep right through it. Polling shows most folks are as undecided as they are unexcited, and turnout predictions are hovering around the 20 percent mark, if not less.

That has made for a political battle that has so far been waged on a regional basis, rather than statewide. So instead of trying to win hearts and minds across Louisiana, it’s as if the candidates are conducting mini-campaigns in different corners of the state.

The hottest action (not surprisingly) has been in New Orleans. That’s where state Sen. Neil Riser of Caldwell Parish made an early splash by snagging the endorsement of the Orleans Parish Republican Executive Committee. It was a claim to fame that former state Rep. John Schroder, who lives in neighboring St. Tammany Parish, wanted badly, especially after he had received a similar endorsement from the Jefferson Parish GOP PEC.

Schroder, though, did eventually rebound in mid-August with his own endorsement from the Greater New Orleans Republicans PAC. It was yet another chapter in the unfolding tale of which candidate for treasurer will capture the Big Easy and its surrounding suburbs.

It has been an interesting exercise to watch — two Republican candidates slugging it out for votes in a Democrat-dominated city. The focus on New Orleans is an early signal that turnout will be high there, what with a major mayoral election on the ballot.

There’s actually a Democrat from New Orleans who is running for treasurer, but so far he has faced nothing but roadblocks on the campaign trail. His name is Derrick Edwards and he’s an attorney, but the Louisiana Democratic Party has refused to endorse him due to late campaign finance filings and other concerns.

That surely stings a bit for Edwards, who is the only Democrat running for the post. Locally, party diehards are split over how this situation should be handled, and the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee voted last week to stand by Edwards, who is unlikely to have the cash needed to be competitive this fall.

Schroder, for his part, will likely spend heavily in the New Orleans media market. While it might sound like a low-yield situation for Schroder (putting all that cash behind commercials in a city filled with Democrats who are unlikely to vote for him), his campaign actually has to buy into the New Orleans media market to access his home base on the North Shore, where turnout is usually above average.

Riser’s team, meanwhile, is said to be reaching out to the New Orleans politicos who are best known for putting money on the streets for get-out-the-vote activities.

Riser is making notable moves and gaining momentum in Lafayette and Lake Charles too. As for the other smaller parishes in Acadiana, it’s still too early to tell. Much like Congressman Clay Higgins did in the lead-up to his surprise victory last year, Schroder appears to be hitting those outlying areas in Acadiana hard.

Closer to the Capitol, former commissioner of administration Angele Davis is hoping to galvanize her hometown of Baton Rouge and the nearby Florida Parishes. Coupled with outreach to moderate and Democratic voters, supporters believe it could be the foundation for a place in the runoff. (Davis was the last major candidate to jump into the fray, but she did pick up the endorsement of Crimefighters of Louisiana recently.)

North Louisiana presents another interesting storyline. While the piney north is definitely Riser Country, local politicos say Schroder has been showing up and chasing endorsements and cash in Riser’s backyard with varying degrees of success.

Regardless, it’s an area of the state where Riser could dump some serious cash, based on his own budget, especially in Monroe and Alexandria. Further west television ad prices in the Shreveport market, which are usually on the high side, have a couple of the candidates questioning if they’ll even buy there.

As for which region is the most important, that depends on the candidate. But the Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans media markets could collectively produce as much as 65 percent of the total votes in the primary election.

Right now it’s difficult to truly gauge how these regional battles are playing out. There’s no dependable, independent polling being shared with the public and Louisiana hasn’t seen a special, off-year election in quite some time. So we could be in store for some surprising results.

Given the sleepy nature of this race so far, it would certainly be a welcome development.

Jeremy Alford is Publisher-Editor of LaPolitics.com / LaPolitics Weekly. His email is JJA@LaPolitics.com.